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spread of truth, but rather to render your movements in its behalf more prompt and vigorous. Be "workers together" with them, in every scheme that may contribute to a wider display of the "common salvation." Give them that least ostentatious, but most valuable proof of your regard, the "effectual fervent prayer that availeth much," that great grace" may rest upon you all.

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"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever."

On behalf of the Assembly,

RICHARD ELLIOTT, Chairman.

NONCONFORMIST REMAINS.

COMMUNICATED BY SIR JOHN BICKERTon Williams. DEAR SIR,-In the Memoirs of the excellent Matthew Henry, I introduced a few memoranda respecting his friend, Mrs. Hunt, the wife of Thomas Hunt, of Borealton, in this neighbourhood, Esq. (See the Preface.) Not only did a close intimacy exist between the entire family at Broad Oke and that at Borealton, but the eldest daughter of good Philip Henry was a great favourite. After her marriage to Mr. Savage, a farmer and land agent, dwelling at Wrenbury Wood, in Cheshire, Mrs. Hunt, especially, often visited her there.

Mrs. Hunt left numerous manuscripts, and as it is not probable that any extended selections will ever be printed, I have much pleasure in transmitting a few, having no doubt that they will be acceptable to your numerous readers. I found them when lately assorting some papers, preparatory to my removal from Shrewsbury to this place.

The family at Borealton, one of the most respectable in the county of Salop, were eminently followers of that which is good: they were, moreover, the stay and succour of the Nonconformists, at a time when that greatly misrepresented body of Christians was emphatically "despised."

To the selections from Mrs. Hunt's private memorials, I have added the notes of a sermon which Philip Henry addressed to his brethren, under the circumstances alluded to. At a time like the present, when high church principles are so insolently exalting themselves, his wise and pious observations may not be without their use. I will only remark, that the discourse was delivered twice-an occurrence in Philip Henry's case not common.

I remain, dear Sir, yours truly,

JOHN BICKERTON WILLIAMS.

The Hall, Wem, Shropshire, May 18th, 1841.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PRIVATE PAPERS OF MRS. Hunt,
of Borealton.

1699. Wednesday Morning. After a little ease from my grievous pain, I resolved to employ the time I had well; and so retired to my closet, where I set the whole time apart to examine how it stood with my spiritual state, having been under doubts and decays for some time. Having, therefore, begun with prayer, I began to consider―First, of the ground of any good hope that I have aright laid hold on God's covenant of grace; and, Second, to consider the reasons of my fears and doubts; and the grounds that I have of good hope, through grace, that I am God's child, are such as these:

I. That I hope I have been convinced of the evil of sin. I competently understand the nature of it, enmity to God, and contradictory to his pure nature, i. e. it is a flat rebellion against him, and base ingratitude towards him. I understand, also, that I have a large share in me of this accursed thing. I know I am very justly chargeable with the sin of my first parents, and, from them, my nature being corrupted, I brought into the world with me that which is called original sin; consisting in a want of original righteousness, and in original corruption, an inability to all good, and an aptitude and proneness to all evil; this is the fruit of Adam's transgression, and the source of all my actual sins; and if it hath not brought forth in me those grosser of murder and adultery, lying, stealing, &c., it is not because I have a less share of it than others, but because the sovereign grace and goodness has given me such an education as has restrained it. For this alone I deserve death, spiritual, temporal, and eternal; but how much more, since I have spent so great a part of my time in the service of the devil and divers lusts, proved so unfaithful in God's service, trusting to myself, and, leaning to my own understanding, done so much to my own and others' souls by my sins.

II. Ground is that I have a great esteem for Christ. I see my need of him, and so adore the grace of God for him: I desire to love him in sincerity.

III. I see my need of him; I have submitted to him as my prophet, priest, and king.

IV. I have an unfeigned hatred to all sin in general as such; and some sight of the beauty of holiness, and the pleasure of keeping God's commandments.

V. I have voluntarily taken Christ's yoke upon me, and solemnly have and here do dedicate myself to him as his devoted servant.

VI. I forego my own righteousness, and will make mention of Christ's only for acceptance with God.

VII. I have taken God for my portion deliberately, freely, and resolvedly. I have counted the cost, and am resolved to take up my cross, and follow him.

VIII. As for the course of my obedience—

1. I competently understand the spirituality of God's law, and approve of it. I desire to find fault with myself if I come not up to it.

2. I honestly design, and without reserve resolve the contrary good, before evil is committed.

3. I am troubled when I fall short, and apply to the blood of Christ for pardon. I judge myself wretched, because of the body of sin that cleaves to me, and can truly say, that I desire heaven for the perfection of its holiness.

4. There is a law in my members that wars against the law of my mind. I sin not with the full bent of my will, but am drawn by degrees, and the deceitfulness of my own evil heart, and still find something that opposes it; and this is not the struggling between natural conscience and sin, because it is exercised about spiritual things and failings, and I am better pleased when in the ways of godliness. These are the grounds of my good hope (through God's grace alone) of my acceptance with him, though not for the sake of any of these things, but only for Christ's sake: yet these are things that are evidences of my faith, and sincerity, and graces of the Spirit, which ought to be regarded.

Tuesday morn.-Rose indisposed, went to my closet, where I was greatly helped in my meditations on 116th Psalm. I thought that I had enjoyed a good deal of health, and if it pleased God to take it away, I will take up the cup of affliction, which may be made to me the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord; and by my resignation to his will, express my thankfulness for former mercies: after, I prayed with great, great fervour and affection, and resignation to God's will, and for all suffering graces.

Affected with God's goodness to me and thankful for it; should not I be thankful, then I don't know who should. God has hedged me in on every side, has left me nothing to wish for. I am as perfectly happy as it's possible to be in this world; and should not I be cheerful, I should wrong God and myself; it has and always shall be my care to have a thankful heart and a cheerful mind in the midst of my conversation. My cup doth overflow at present; surely then although riches and pleasure and ease shall not, or may not, follow me all my days, yet I know goodness and mercy shall, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Let me only be careful to keep myself from sin in his strength, and nothing can possibly make my life uncomfortable.

prayed earnestly to be preserved from being in love with the

vanities of the world so as to draw off my mind from God; and, indeed, I have reason to believe I was heard; for although I had pleasures without alloy, yet I found that they were empty. O Lord, I have found that one day in thy courts is far better than a thousand; let me be a door-keeper in thy house, rather than dwell, (though uninterupted) in the courts of wickedness; nay, let me live in the meanest condition outwardly, so I may but enjoy the light of God's countenance in the performance of the spiritual duties of religion, rather than live in a mere moral honesty, destitute of the power of godliness, though in never so much esteem in the world.

Sabbath-day.—I had, blessed be God, sweet communion with him in his holy ordinances, and was, through grace, particularly enabled to see the pardon of my sins sealed to me in that appointment. I had some time in my closet, which I endeavoured to employ to God's glory and my good-was thankful, and desired nothing more but to be faithful and fruitful in the discharge of my duty: to walk watchfully, humbly, wisely, &c. Finally, that by any gross or wilful sin I might not displease so good a God, break my peace, wound my conscience, &c. but that I might walk so spiritually as might profit myself and others. Monday-Lost some time in bed, but still found my thoughts for God and with him, wishing to walk according to my covenant, but my spirit was dull and earthly; yet after reading I was in somewhat a better frame, more thankful, fruitful, and faithful. After having prayed earnestly for God's grace and favour, was much affected with a sense of my unworthiness, and God's all-sufficiency and immutability. 1709, August the 5th.-Seeing the town and ruins of the castle of Ludlow, it affected me very much with the consideration of the vanity and uncertainty of all things under the sun, and made me desire and prize a portion in the rock of ages and that kingdom which cannot be shaken. How much provision has, in that castle, been made for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof, while great things have been neglected; and how many fine men has there been there, and fine actions done there, which are now buried in its ruins, and the memory of them forgot; while a managed war and a fine victory are extolled above personal courage and conduct, only because this is before our eyes, and the other out of sight. O miserable men, who judge by appearance, and who are almost as unaffected with the past as with the future. What mere nothings are we, and how confined to our little inch of space and time, and how true is Saint Teresa's saying, "Every thing that is not God is nothing."

1713, May 28th, Wrenbury Wood, in Mrs. Savage's closet, five o'clock in the morning. I had read several passages of what seems wrote by Mrs. Savage of her father's which much affected me. At last retiring, I would use the helps for self examination which I found there, especially that of Mr. Henry's "but mine own vineyard have I not

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kept;" and here I do experience his observation, that "many times the neglect of keeping our own vineyard is punished by God;" and surely this is my case; the neglects of the soul are very sad things.

May 29th.-Went to Wrenbury Wood in order to partake of the sacrament of the Lord's supper; my design was good, and what I durst not omit when I could any way bring it about fairly. I blessed God for the opportunity, and obtained much seriousness there both on Saturday in my closet, and on Sunday the 31st, when I received the holy sacrament of Mr. Mottershead, at Nantwich chapel: but too much time, if it could have been helped, was spent in going and coming, and dining at Mr. Mottershead's, and going thither while the chaise was getting ready; and I wanted wisdom, and a heart to improve it as I ought, even in that excellent company, though I somewhat endeavoured it.

Monday, June 1st.-I spent the whole day in religious exercises: in the morning in meditation and prayer, the afternoon in good company. Praying, conferring, and singing; and, blessed be God, I found my heart more delighted in such exercises than in the works of my ordinary calling, and being quiet from business, my mind was not taken up with vanity, as it has been sometimes, but cheerfully delighting itself in God. How great is the benefit of serious Christian fellowship; it was this, doubtless, made me so unlike myself at other times. How good is a middle state where there is true grace, as sure there is in that serious family, which it is my honour and pleasure that I am acquainted with, and a friend to; and, as a testimony of it, and in discharge of my obligations to it, spoke very deeply and seriously to, &c. I returned home on Tuesday, June 2nd, highly pleased and profited.

OUTLINE OF A SERMON BY THE REV. PHILIP Henry, Preached the second time at Wrenbury Wood, June 3rd, 1690, from the Original Manuscript, collated with Mrs. Savage's Notes.

Neh. iv. 6, "Hear, O our God, for we are despised."

It hath been always the lot of God's people to be despised, and their way is, whenever they are so, to go to God, and tell him of it.

There is a despising in heart and thought, Job xii. 5; 2 Sam. vi 16. To some, good people are the excellent of the earth, Psalm xvi. 3; and are honoured, Psalm xv. 4. Others see no excellency in them. To some they are jewels, comparable to fine gold; to others as the mire of the streets. Did the world know the worth of a godly man he would be hedged about with pearls. So the Jewish proverb is. See contra Acts xxii. 22, "Away with such a fellow," spoken of one of the best men that ever lived.

There is also a despising in word and tongue; out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks; if the heart despises, the tongue will despise also. And hath not this been always the lot of God's

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